In recent years attention has been directed to the prevention of pollution caused by combustion exhaust gas as containing sulfur dioxide. Combustion exhaust gas has been desulfurized, on a trial basis, by removing the sulfur dioxide using activated carbon. With this method of combustion exhaust gas desulfurization, since the sulfur dioxide contained in the combustion exhaust gas is absorbed in the form of sulfuric acid on the activated carbon, it is essential that the activated carbon to be used have both the absorbing capability unique to activated carbon and the capability of catalyzing the sulfur dioxide present in the combustion exhaust gas into sulfuric acid through a reaction with the oxygen and water present in the combustion exhaust gas and the atmosphere. The activated carbon should also possess high mechanical strength. However, the conventional activated carbon available for use in combustion exhaust gas desulfurization is generally produced by pelletizing powdered charcoal and, therefore, is lacking in mechanical strength and tends to disintegrate to a powdery form. Moreover, conventional activated carbon does not possess any appreciable catalytic activity.
Thus, a need exists for provision of activated carbon which has high mechanical strength and excellent catalytic activity.